Dreams

This collection of original works written and arranged by Bob Brookmeyer was originally commissioned by West German Radio in Cologne in the mid-'80s while he was composer in residence, most of them prior to his first opportunity to work with the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra. The music is not easily digested upon first hearing; one has to spend time listening carefully to the nuances within it. Although Brookmeyer features his fine-valve trombone playing, his songs are hardly composed to focus exclusively on himself as a soloist, as far too many jazz composers do when given the opportunity to write for large ensembles. This very tight orchestra is full of outstanding musicians who achieve high marks from their guest conductor. The first three songs — the brooding "Cats," the dark but more accessible "Lies," and the initially avant-garde "Tick-Tock" (which transforms into a big band swinger full of humor) — make up an untitled suite. Pianist Anders Widmark is the focus of the somewhat eerie "Dreams"; his switch to synthesizer for "Missing Monk" proves to be more of a distraction. Although this CD doesn't rank as high as many of Bob Brookmeyer's releases recorded during the last two decades of the 20th century, it has enough going for it to make it worth acquiring.